The Permanent Housing Affordability Act aims to create and preserve permanently affordable housing for low- and moderate-income individuals and families. It establishes a Treasury Department program to provide grants to states and financial institutions, enabling them to offer low-interest construction loans to non-profit organizations and local governments for developing or rehabilitating shared equity homes with long-term affordability requirements. A separate pilot program under HUD offers direct grants to eligible entities for acquiring land or properties to develop similar affordable housing for lower-income households. The bill also mandates research and public awareness campaigns for shared equity homeownership models and streamlines the transfer of surplus federal land to these models at a discounted rate for affordable housing use.
This bill establishes a new funding program to support community land trusts and shared equity homeownership models, which are nonprofit approaches designed to keep housing permanently affordable for low- and moderate-income families. It creates a $100 million fund to provide low-interest construction loans to local governments and nonprofits, while also authorizing $500 million over five years for grants to purchase land and develop affordable housing. The legislation defines specific requirements for these projects, including 99-year affordability restrictions and resale formulas that limit future sale prices to ensure homes remain accessible to households earning up to 120 percent of the area median income. Additionally, the bill directs the Treasury and Housing and Urban Development departments to conduct research on best practices and launch public awareness campaigns about these housing models. It also amends federal surplus land laws to allow the government to transfer unused properties to community land trusts at a 75 percent discount from market value.
This bill directs the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to give equal consideration to nonstructural flood risk management options, such as elevating buildings, floodproofing structures, or relocating them, alongside traditional infrastructure like levees and floodwalls. It requires the Corps to resume any paused flood risk studies that include these nonstructural options and mandates regular written updates to local communities about project progress and funding. The legislation also establishes a new working group to provide expert advice on nonstructural flood measures and creates a dedicated center of expertise within the Corps to improve technical capacity in this area. Additionally, the bill increases federal cost-sharing for nonstructural projects in economically disadvantaged communities and repetitive loss areas, allowing for up to 100 percent federal funding in severe cases. Finally, it expands the types of costs eligible for federal reimbursement when elevating structures, including utility upgrades, asbestos abatement, and temporary housing expenses for displaced residents.
The HELP Act of 2026 creates a federal database to track evictions from housing units receiving federal assistance, requiring landlords and local agencies to report detailed information about tenants facing eviction proceedings. The bill establishes a grant program to provide free legal assistance to low-income tenants at risk of eviction, prioritizing organizations with experience serving vulnerable populations and ensuring rural areas receive proportional support. Additionally, the act modifies the Fair Credit Reporting Act to include eviction records in consumer reports and requires landlords to provide tenants with written information about their eviction rights and available local resources. These measures aim to improve data collection on housing instability, increase access to legal representation for tenants, and enhance tenant awareness of their rights under federal and state laws.
This bill modernizes housing assistance programs for Native American tribes and Native Hawaiians by streamlining environmental reviews, extending funding authorization through 2032, and expanding loan guarantee options. Key provisions include consolidating environmental review requirements to reduce paperwork for tribes, allowing 99-year leasehold interests on trust lands for housing, and creating new rental assistance specifically for homeless or at-risk Native American veterans. The legislation also clarifies rent rules, waives certain housing counseling certifications for tribal entities, exempts tribal housing projects from some federal civil rights and Buy America requirements, and establishes a direct loan guarantee process for tribal housing projects.
The SHARE Act introduces a new tax provision that excludes certain income from shared appreciation mortgages from gross income for qualifying borrowers. This bill directly affects low-to-moderate income homeowners who use these alternative financing products, which allow lenders to receive a share of the property's future value increase instead of requiring monthly interest payments. The key mechanism requires borrowers to meet income limits of 140 percent of the area median income and use the home as their primary residence, while the mortgage must be a second lien subordinate to a qualified first mortgage and cannot exceed 49 percent of the purchase price. The tax exclusion applies only to amounts received after December 31, 2025, and does not change the fundamental structure of these loans but rather provides specific tax treatment for their repayment and disposition.
The Housing for Heroes Act of 2026 expands eligibility for the Good Neighbor Next Door Sales Program to include members of the Armed Forces, firefighters, and law enforcement officers. Under this bill, these eligible individuals can purchase single-unit properties through the program even if the properties are not located in designated revitalization areas. The Department of Housing and Urban Development will update its regulations to implement these expanded eligibility rules. This change allows first responders and military personnel to access discounted housing opportunities in a broader range of locations.
This bill creates a new tax-advantaged savings account specifically for first-time homebuyers, allowing them to deduct contributions up to $10,000 annually from their taxable income. The account can only be used to pay qualified homebuyer expenses such as purchasing or constructing a principal residence, and it is available to individuals who have not owned a home in the past three years. Distributions from the account remain tax-free if used for eligible housing expenses, but unused withdrawals are subject to income tax and a 10% penalty. The legislation also allows account holders to transfer funds to an IRA within 180 days after purchasing a home, and it exempts these contributions from Social Security and Medicare taxes.
HR 8135, the Cost-of-living Emergency Act, declares a 180-day emergency to address high living costs affecting U.S. households earning below the median income. The bill directs the Council of Economic Advisers to analyze affordability issues and establish a White House Cost Cutting Council with six Special Advisors focused on specific cost areas like food, housing, and healthcare. It also creates a Joint Task Force on Consumer Costs to enforce price gouging laws and requires agencies to assess how regulations impact household budgets. Additionally, the act establishes a bipartisan Cost-of-Living Commission in Congress to study long-term solutions and submit policy recommendations before the emergency expires.
This bill creates a federal grant program to help states, tribes, and local governments establish policies that allow residents of manufactured home communities to purchase their communities. The program requires recipients to use at least 25% of grant funds for land and infrastructure and to adopt model laws that mandate owners notify residents before selling, giving residents the right to match the sale price and negotiate terms. Eligible entities must demonstrate that their policies provide residents with meaningful opportunities to buy communities, with specific protections against retaliation and requirements that sale offers be available to all potential buyers. The legislation defines eligible owners as government entities, nonprofits, and resident cooperatives, while exempting certain family transfers and internal business transactions from the purchase opportunity requirements.
